Have you ever wanted to sing to that special someone, but didn’t have the confidence or talent to do so? Wouldn’t it just be much easier to have someone else do the singing for you?
Well, that’s no strange request for the Annandale Choral Department, which held its annual “Singing Valentines” late last month.
Usually held on or around Valentine’s Day, the fundraiser was cancelled due to the Blizzard of 2010 and was rescheduled to the week before the break under the name “Spring Fling Sings.”
“The students and faculty always enjoy Singing Valentines so were disappointed when they had to be cancelled due to the Blizzard of 2010,” said Chorus teacher Carleen Dixon Webb. “It’s also a fundraiser for us so we really needed to try to make up for the financial loss.”
After deciding to bring back the Valentines this spring, the Choral Department got to work preparing for the event under the guidance of Dixon and seniors Julie Jurenas and Andrea Quezada. They chose their songs and then choreographed the moves to their own numbers, which ranged from Annandale Singers’ “Can’t Help Falling in Love” and Women’s Ensemble’s “When I Fall in Love” to a performance of “Blue Moon” by Men’s Chorale.
The Valentines were sold during lunch, leading up to performances in each of the four red day periods. They were sung in the last 20 minutes of R1, R3, and R7 and in the first and last 15 minutes of R5.
Sophomore Christina Miller really seemed to enjoy the event. “My favorite part is just being able to run around the school and deliver these songs to people and just have fun overall, while raising money for the choral department,” she said.
Not only was it fun for the Chorus members, who spent the day running from class to class performing, but most students and teachers also enjoyed it. Whether they themselves had hoped to receive a Valentine or just wanted to hear one sung to another student, it seemed a fitting way to begin Spring Break.
“I really like delivering the ones from boyfriends or girlfriends because the expressions on their faces are so cute and the songs are adorable when it’s from someone they are dating,” explained Miller.
These joyful expressions were not the only ones entertaining to other students, as those who received valentines often displayed looks of surprise and embarrassment.
“The people that receive their valentines look so surprised and shocked that sometimes I think they’re going to faint,” said Junior Alay Tedla.
Once the songs had started, however, these students seemed able to overcome their shock and enjoy the performances with the rest of the class.
“It’s a wonderful AHS tradition which everyone seems to enjoy!” exclaimed Dixon.
In the end, though the number of valentines bought this year was much lower than in past years because it was not held on Valentine’s Day, the event was still a success for both the Choral Department and AHS students.
